Far Away
by Center of the Galaxy
Summary: What was Steve supposed to do now? Move on without her? What was the point if his reason to fight was gone? Luckily, Bruce holds the answers, despite having his own relationship problems. Perhaps Steve can help? *Two-shot, no slash, Steve/Peggy, Bruce/Betty*
1. Grief

_**Author's Note: **__I always wondered what happened to Peggy after Steve's "death" and this story is the product of that and how much I wish Betty had been in __The Avengers__. Bruce's previous trip to New York was mentioned, but never Betty and I was curious. Some dialogue has been taken from __Captain America: The First Avenger__ and __The Incredible Hulk__. I feel like Steve and Bruce could relate to each other a lot in terms of their tragic love lives and I wish we could've seen that in __The Avengers__. Anyways, please enjoy!_

* * *

"_I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie_

_All the day and nighttime, hear me sigh_

_I never had the least notion_

_That I could fall with such emotion." _

—_Gene Kelly, "I've Got a Crush on You."_

* * *

Things had changed over the decades that Steve had spent asleep. The city of New York seemed to have grown even more since his days living in Brooklyn. Old shops that he had used to visit as a kid no longer existed and had now been replaced by chain coffee shops and restaurants. Families that used to live in the area had left long ago, leaving Steve with no way to connect back to his own roots. His father and mother had both died while he was growing up, his closest friend had been killed in action, and Peggy—

_Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it!_

He listened to the voice chanting in his head and quickly took a swig of his drink. He allowed the burn of the alcohol to distract him from his train of thought. He couldn't think about her—not now, not ever. He couldn't allow himself to recall any detail of his time with her. He had to bury his feelings—bury her in the recesses of his mind. He took another swig of his drink before the memories could overwhelm him.

What was he supposed to do anyways? S.H.I.E.L.D. had told him to go take a vacation, but where exactly could he go? He had no friends in this era and no place to go. In fact, the only time he even felt remotely comfortable in this new era was training. Throwing punches, making sure he was strong enough to stop the bad guys and save those closest to him—that hadn't changed in the years that had passed. He was a good soldier, but now the mission was over and Director Fury didn't seem keen on sending him another anytime soon.

_Captain, take a few weeks off. Explore the city, travel! I don't care what you do as long as you don't do it here. As of now, you're on leave. Enjoy it, Captain. You certainly deserve it._

Fury had kicked him out which was how he ended up at this bar. It was the only place that hadn't changed in the decades that he had been asleep. Sure, the décor was different, but the building was the same and if he closed his eyes, Steve could pretend he was back in the 40's, waiting for his date.

"Hey," Steve looked up from his drink to see a slightly disheveled Bruce Banner standing in front of his table. "Mind if I sit?"

"Dr. Banner," He mumbled, starting to stand when Bruce waved him off dismissively. "I didn't know you were still in New York." Bruce sat down across from him and waved off the waitress. At Steve's curious glance, he smirked.

"I, uh, don't drink," He muttered. Steve waited for a further explanation, which Bruce reluctantly gave. "I can't take the chance that the 'other guy' will get control." Steve shot him a sympathetic smile as he nursed his own drink. He noticed that Bruce appeared to be very uncomfortable and figured that was due to the countless people in the bar. "So . . ." Bruce's voice trailed off into uncertainty.

"Yes?"

"What have you been up to?" It was clearly not what Dr. Banner wanted to say, but Steve figured that the good doctor would explain soon enough once he was feeling more comfortable. Besides, Steve was grateful for the company, though he would never admit it. He was Captain America! He wasn't supposed to be drowning his sorrows over a drink! Besides, it wasn't like he could get drunk and forget his pain anyways—the serum prevented that. He was supposed to be celebrating the defeat of Loki's invasion and yet, here he was—sad, lonely, and pretty pathetic. Not exactly how he wanted to end up.

"Nothing much," Steve replied. "Just . . . been trying to get back into the swing of things."

"Yeah?"

"Yep," He took another sip of his drink. "What are you doing here though, Dr. Banner? I was pretty sure that you avoided crowds like this."

"I do," Bruce answers, eyeing everyone uncomfortably. "It's just . . ." He pulled the collar of his t-shirt and nervously ran a hand through his hair. Steve could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Hey," Steve said gently. "Do you need to go outside?"

"No," Bruce interjected quickly, taking a calming breath. "I'm fine. I'm not good around crowds. I'm working on it though."

"What have you been up to?" Steve asked once again, slightly curious as to what the nervous scientist had been doing during his break.

"I've been over at Stark Tower," Bruce explained. "Tony is rebuilding it, but he asked for a bit of help on one of the projects he's working on. It's fascinating actually, as he's trying to stabilize some isotopes—" He noticed Steve's confused expression and laughed dryly. "I'm sorry. I got carried away."

"No, it's great that you're doing something that you enjoy," Steve said sincerely. "I'm glad."

"And you, Cap?" Bruce pressed. "You found something you enjoy yet?" Steve ignored him and took another sip of his drink, wishing that he could get drunk and just forget. Seeing him shut down, Bruce glanced around the room. "This used to be a club in the 40's, right?"

"_All right," Her voice was so sweet and despite the fear that Steve felt, hearing her seemed to make things better. They both knew what going to happen now—he was going to set the plane down and die. There was never going to be a date. They knew that and yet, she kept up the charade. "A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club." He lied and told her that he would be there and stared at her picture. He was doing this to protect her, to keep her safe. He had found his dance partner finally and now . . . now, he had to leave her. "Don't you dare be late." Her voice was cracking and he wished that he could wipe her tears away. Why did it have to be like this? _

"The Stork Club." Steve replied, the grief coursing through his system.

"You ever come here back then?" Bruce's tone was cautious and Steve knew that he was keeping something from him.

"I had a date here." He replied, trying to keep the lid on his emotions. The last thing he needed was to go ballistic and cause Bruce to get angry enough to change into the Hulk. He needed to stay calm and relaxed.

"What's her name?" The question took Steve slightly off-guard.

"What?"

"Her name," Bruce repeated. "Cap, I've seen S.H.I.E.L.D.'s notes on the Super Soldier serum and I know for a fact that drink won't do anything to you which means you came here for some other reason." Steve tried to keep the surprise off his face and avoided Bruce's careful gaze. He didn't want to talk about this and it wasn't any of Banner's business. He didn't have to say anything, but the words just came tumbling out before he could stop them.

"Peggy," He answered quietly. "Her name was Peggy Carter."

And suddenly, he was back with her. She was smiling at him and he was grinning back. Her voice filled his mind as the memories consumed him. Their first meeting, their first mission, the promise of a dance, and then the last time he had ever spoken to her all came flooding back to him. He had learned that Peggy had shown up for her date and had waited for hours—waiting for him to walk through the door. She died almost a year to the day after he had gone missing. The grief began to consume him as he thought of Peggy dying without him—dying because of him. _The patient seems resigned to her fate, _the doctor had written in her medical file that Steve had easily obtained by using S.H.I.E.L.D.'s connections. _If I didn't know any better, _the doctor had continued to write; _I'd say she died of a broken heart. _Peggy had died and it was all his fault.

"Steve," Bruce's voice was surprisingly gentle as he hesitantly reached out and placed a hand on Steve's shoulder. "I, um . . ." Bruce's voice faded as it was clear that had he no idea what to say, but it was nice to just have him near. It was nice to know that he wasn't alone in the world.

"She was something special," He told Bruce. "She was incredible."

"Yeah?" Bruce asked, a small smile on his lips.

"Peggy was smart—smarter than you probably," Steve said with a small smile tugging at his lips and Bruce chuckled. "And she could fight, she was in the army. She was so beautiful too and she had the greatest smile. One time, she even . . ."

* * *

Steve wasn't sure how long they remained in that bar, but by the time they left, Bruce had listened to every story about Peggy that Steve had known. The doctor had politely listened and even encouraged him to keep talking about her and as the stories kept coming, some of the guilt that Steve felt left. The grief was still there—would probably always be there—but he had the memories of her and that kept her alive. Peggy would always be with him—time couldn't change that.

"Dr. Banner," Steve began as the two stood on the street. "Thank you."

"Uh, it was no problem," Bruce replied, slightly embarrassed. "I just . . . well, I mean, it wasn't too hard to figure out what was wrong with you."

"You lost someone special?" Steve questioned, concern evident in his tone. A wistful look came into Bruce's eyes.

"No, it was my choice," He told Steve firmly. "I had to keep her safe. She doesn't deserve to be with a monster, you know?" Steve was about to explain that Bruce was nowhere near being a monster when a thought popped into his head.

"What's her name?"

"Betty," Bruce's voice was so soft that Steve almost didn't recognize it. "Betty Ross." Steve opened his mouth to ask more questions when Bruce simply nodded his head respectfully before vanishing down the street.

Steve grinned as the beginnings of a plan began to form in his mind.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__What's Steve's plan? I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please review if you have the time! _


	2. Hope

_**Author's Note: **__Thanks for all the kind words on the previous chapter! Sorry it took me so long to finish this. I honestly kept writing this chapter and then scrapping it because it never came out right. I never intended to take this long to get this done. Anyways, I'm finally happy to share this with you all! Please enjoy!_

* * *

"_Just one look and then I knew,_

_That all I longed for long ago was you." _

_Rita Hayworth, "Long Ago and Far Away"_

* * *

"Stark?" Steve called out cautiously as he entered the lab. Around him, numerous blueprints were spread out and holograms of project designs lit up the darkened room. This was Tony's sanctuary and only a few times had he been allowed down here. Pepper joked that this was Tony's home away from home, but frankly, he was beginning to think that this was one of the few places where the billionaire truly felt safe and at peace. Here, Tony could work out his problems and build new solutions. Here, Steve felt out of his element as he was still getting used to technology in this time period.

"Cap?" Tony mumbled, surprise registering on his face as he placed the blowtorch in his hand down on a workbench. "How'd you get in here?"

"Miss Potts let me in," He explained quietly. "I needed to ask you for a favor." A smirk settled on Tony's face.

"Oh, really? A favor from me?" Stark challenged, seemingly enjoying how the famous Captain America had to ask him for help.

"I need you to find someone and since you hacked into SHIELD's files, I'd figured you'd be able to do it." Tony nodded his head and pulled up a screen that displayed numerical patterns on it. Using his hand, the inventor quickly pulled out another page from the numerical one and Steve could see the telltale SHIELD insignia on it.

"Okay, shoot."

"Miss Betty Ross." Tony typed the name in and then froze halfway.

"Wait, you mean General Ross' daughter?"

"Who?" Steve questioned with a confused expression on his face. Tony stepped away from the computer and folded his arms across his chest, eyeing Cap suspiciously.

"Alright, what the hell is going on here?"

"I have no idea what you're—"

"Bullshit," Tony retorted, seeing through Steve's lies. "Do you even know who Betty Ross is?"

"No." Steve admitted, noting that he really should ask Natasha to teach him how to lie more convincingly.

"Then, why find her?"

"It's for a friend," He mumbled, trying to get away with barely explaining anything. "Look, I just—"

"For Bruce, huh?" Tony questioned softly and Steve was caught off-guard by just how quiet the inventor had gotten.

"How did you—?"

"You weren't around for the Hulk's last visit," Tony replied, as he faced the screen once more. Determination filled his expression and Steve realized that things had changed. Tony was going to find her—not as a favor to him, but to Bruce. "Anyways, you sure you wanna do this? Betty and Bruce didn't exactly part on the best of terms last time."

"What do you mean?" Steve inquired and Tony sighed.

"From what I've been told, and believe me, it's not much," He tapped a few things on the screen that had come up and soon, a picture of a beautiful brunette filled the lab. Her eyes sparkled in the light and her smile seemed to brighten up the lab. He could see why Bruce had fallen so in love with this woman and why he had pushed her away. "Banner was the one to back away. Pretty much vanished without so much of a trace."

_She doesn't deserve to be with a monster, you know?_

No, she didn't. Bruce; however, wasn't a monster and Steve got the feeling that the woman in question never got to make a choice over whether she wanted to be with Bruce or not.

"You have an address?"

"Just what are you up to?" Tony asked, curiosity dancing in his eyes. "Playing matchmaker or something?"

"Something like that," Steve admitted. Tony eyed him oddly and embarrassed, Steve added quickly, "Bruce helped me out the other night. I'd figure this was the least I could do."

"Well," Tony began, shutting down his machines. "Let's go."

"You can't be serious." Steve told him.

"What? You think I was going to let you take all of the credit?" He challenged, joking. "Besides, do you even know how to get there?" Realizing Tony had a point, Steve sighed before following him out of the lab.

It was time to meet Betty Ross.

* * *

"May I help you?"

"Miss Betty Ross?" Steve asked politely, though he recognized the woman who stood behind the door as the woman in the picture. She had cut her hair for one thing—instead of it cascading behind her, it now rested gracefully on her shoulders—but aside from that, she was still the same beautiful woman that Steve had seen in the picture.

"Captain America?" She questioned, eyeing him warily. It wasn't the usual reaction he got—women usually beamed and tried to hug him—but he recognized the slight fear in her gaze. She had dealt with the realm of superheroes before and she had gotten burned. He couldn't blame her for this.

"And me." Tony cut in quickly and recognition lit up in her eyes as Tony stepped onto the porch.

"It's been awhile, Mr. Stark," She opened the door, a small smile gracing her lips. "Please come in." They did so and she led them to her modest living room. She gestured for them to take a seat on white couch while she sat across from them. "How can I help you?"

"Well, Miss Ross," Steve began formally. "It's about Bruce Banner—" She froze, the teacup she had been holding in her hands, shaking slightly. Her expression was schooled though and if he hadn't had so much training at reading people in the army, he would've never noticed the slight tremor of her hands or the way, her gaze dropped ever so slightly towards the floor.

"I don't know who you are—"

"Betty," Tony interrupted and she sighed slightly, her posture becoming less ridged. "Drop the act. Steve and I aren't here on behalf of SHIELD or your father."

"Then, why are you here?" She challenged, a bit of defiance spilling into her tone. "You know that Bruce and I haven't spoken in years." She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I knew nothing about him being in New York and I don't know where he is now."

"We do, though." Steve informed her. Her eyes widened and the Captain felt himself grinning at her, much like a child does when they know a secret and can't wait to share it.

"We'd like you to come and see him—" Tony continued, but the young woman threw up her hands and shook her head.

"Wait, wait," She began. "Bruce and I . . . that chapter of my life is over." She smiled ruefully, her eyes watering slightly. "He made his choice and I made mine."

"He did it to protect you." Steve pointed out, feeling the need to justify his friend's actions. Betty just chuckled dryly.

"Right," She scoffed. "Because I can't protect myself. I mean, sure, I grew up with my father in the army and he trained me like a soldier, but what does he know?" She rose from the couch, resolve evident in her eyes. "I don't know what kind of stunt you two are trying to pull, but I won't have it. Please leave." She began to turn away and head out of the room.

"Wait!" Tony exclaimed, jumping from the couch and grabbing her arm, stopping her. "Just, hold on a damn minute, would you?"

"Please, Miss Ross," Steve pleaded, willing her to understand, willing her to accept what had happened in the past and move on. Was this how Peggy felt in her last year alive—alone and bitter? By making his choice, had he doomed her as well? "Just . . . see him, please."

"Why?" She snapped. "Why would you ask me to do that when we all know that he'll just push me away?"

"You're as stubborn as your old man," Tony remarked under his breath. "Look, just meet with him for a few minutes. That's all we're asking."

"A few minutes?" She echoed, clearly skeptical.

"A few minutes." Steve affirmed. She thought it over for a few seconds. Then, determination blazing in her eyes she met the Captain's gaze.

"Fine. Just a few minutes then."

Steve beamed.

* * *

"Miss Ross," Pepper greeted with a warm grin on her face. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Miss Potts," Betty replied, smiling a bit as she adjusted her sundress. "It's been too long." The two women hugged and Steve relaxed slightly. Tony was pulling Bruce out of the lab on the premise of showing him some new invention. Steve had wanted to inform the shy scientist of Betty's arrival, but Tony had insisted that they all keep quiet.

"He'll just run again if he knows." He had argued and Steve had been hard-pressed to find a response to counter that. Still, he was hoping this meeting went well. Betty was clearly nervous—she kept fussing with her hair and the edge of her dress—though Pepper was trying to calm her the best that she could with endless questions and the occasional compliment.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Betty asked the former CEO, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I think that this will be good for the both of you." Pepper answered honestly, though the response didn't seem to soothe the younger woman at all.

"—understand why you just dragged me out of the lab, Tony!" Bruce's voice echoed down the hallway and instantly Betty was on her feet. Turning to Steve, she took a deep breath in.

"How do I look?" She questioned, desperately needing assurance.

"Beautiful." He told her, willing her to believe because she did look amazing. He had though she was pretty in the picture that Tony had shown him, but seeing her all dressed up like this put that picture to shame. Still, it was her intelligence that was her best quality and made her a perfect match for Bruce. He could just imagine the two of them arguing over some specific scientific thing and running experiments trying to prove each other wrong.

He hoped this worked.

He hadn't honestly factored in another situation where it failed.

"Would you just relax?" Tony told him, voice ever calm. Their footsteps began to grow louder and Steve found himself subconsciously holding his breath in anticipation. The team would make fun of him if they knew how much he had invested into this little matchmaking experiment, but he couldn't honestly bring himself to care.

He hadn't been able to have his happy ending with Peggy.

She had died all alone and brokenhearted and now, he felt like a piece of himself was missing.

He'd be damned if he let that happen to Bruce and Betty.

This had to work.

"I just don't—" Bruce walked into the room, hair disheveled, lab coat rumpled and he immediately met her gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but words wouldn't come. Betty took a step closer to him, a tear rolling down her cheek and he immediately moved towards her to wipe it away. She caught his hand and held it securely within her own.

"Hey, Bruce." She mumbled, voice thick with emotion.

And that was when she hugged him.

* * *

"Steve?" His eyes flew open and he almost collided into Bruce's head as the scientist moved away from the couch. Steve rolled his neck and stretched his arms, his body sore from having fallen asleep in such a weird position. He hadn't been able to go to his room though; he had wanted to be near by just in case something went wrong and Bruce needed him or, God forbid, the Hulk decided to make an appearance.

"Hey," He murmured, trying not to sound so sleepy. "Miss Ross leave?"

"Yeah," The scientist replied shakily, as if he didn't quite believe what was happening to him. "She has work later today." Awkwardly, Bruce sat down on the couch and Steve quickly made room for him. They sat there in silence for a few minutes. "I want to thank you."

"Me?"

"I kept telling myself that I was no good for her," He continued, shaking his head slightly. "That I was nothing but poison and that someday, she would die because of me."

"Bruce—" Steve interjected sympathetically.

"And she told me that it was a load of crap." The Captain laughed at this and soon, Bruce was chuckling along. He didn't know much about Betty but she seemed fiercely independent and she liked to tell you her opinion on things, whether you liked it or not.

She was a good fit for Bruce.

"So, now what?" He prodded.

"I want to see her, but—"

"But?"

"She'll get hurt," He whispered brokenly. "And if that happened to her because of the other guy, I wouldn't be able to come back from that." Steve placed a reassuring hand on Bruce's shoulders.

"Look, I don't know Miss Ross, but from what I've seen," He waited until Bruce was looking at him before continuing. "She can handle herself." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're lucky, Bruce."

"I am?" The scientist echoed incredulously.

"You still have someone that loves you and cares for you, no matter what," He did his best to muster up a smile, but the pangs of grief consumed him. "And for people like us, that's a very hard thing to come by."

If he closed his eyes right now, if he allowed himself to dive back into the recesses of his mind, he could summon her here. He could pretend that she was alive and that he was back in the 40's and that they were talking about dances and partners. He let go right now and never come back.

But, he wouldn't.

Because as much as he missed her and needed her by his side, he would go on.

That's what she would've wanted.

"I know," Bruce confessed and the Super Soldier was snapped out of his reverie. "I just . . . I just needed to hear that from someone else. Thank you."

"Anytime." Steve waved off his concern, yawning as he rose from the couch and prepared to head to his own bed, his work accomplished.

"And Steve?" He turned to face his friend who, for the first time in weeks, was now wearing a small smile.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't know Peggy personally, but from what you've told me, I'm sure she was proud of the choice you made."

And somehow, Steve managed to grin through the pain and nod his head. As he returned to his room and flopped onto his bed, he allowed the grief to give way to calm. It wasn't peace—it wouldn't be peace for many years—but helping Bruce and Betty had, in a way helped him. It had given him a slim hope that Peggy hadn't hated him for the choice that he had made that night.

His eyes slipped closed.

* * *

"_Steve," Peggy beamed as he spun her around on the dance floor. "You're natural!" He lifted her up and she laughed as she kissed his forehead. The band played the familiar music of his own time and there was nothing but discussions of happiness and peace inside the club, the war seemingly forgotten for at this moment. _

"_I've missed you." He confessed, lowering her down to the floor. She kissed him softly on the lips before pulling back and grinning mischievously. _

"_I've got a secret!" She proudly exclaimed and he chuckled._

"_I think you've had too much too drink." He replied, still smiling, feeling happier than he had in weeks. _

"_Wanna know what it is?" _

"_Sure." _

"_I was never mad at you." That made the blood in his veins chill. _

"_What?" Because this had never happened before in his dream—they had never talked about this. He had been afraid that if they had, she would go away from his mind forever and the thought of losing her all over again had been too much to bear._

"_Peggy—" The band played something slow and the lights dimmed. Her expression sobered and she wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting on his chest._

"_Steve, I was always proud of you," She informed him. "You just need to forgive yourself."_

"_You died, Peggy!" He spat, the anger that accompanied loss threatening to consume him once more. "You died and I . . . God, it was my fault." _

"_No," She insisted. "Steve, it wasn't." _

"_Peggy—"_

"_Forgive yourself, Steve," She pleaded. "For me?" The music began to fade the lights dimmed even more. _

_The dream was ending._

"_Live your life for me, Steve."_

* * *

He awoke the next morning, still missing her, but able to picture surviving the next week without succumbing to his all-encompassing grief.

It was progress.

One day at a time.

"I'll make you proud." He whispered, his lips turning ever so slightly upward in a smile.

And with that, he got up and resolved to push himself harder today.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__That's it! I must say, I got really attached to this story, but I'm glad it is over. I may have more stories where Cap plays matchmaker, but we'll see. Please review if you have a second! Thanks! _


End file.
